In 2023, there were 25 traffic deaths in Stockton. Already this year there have been 30 deaths. Here, a memorial sits near Baker Street and Park Street on Oct. 31, 2023, after a young woman was killed when her car collided with another vehicle. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local)

Stockton’s traffic deaths are running 43% higher than this time last year, with police vowing to take a “zero tolerance” approach to violations in an effort to slow the toll.

Thirty people have died on Stockton’s streets this year, including an 11-year-old girl killed when the vehicle she was riding in struck a tree in August.

The deaths have included pedestrians and bicyclists and also have stemmed from cars and trains crashing into other vehicles, officers said. Last year at this time, there had been 21 fatalities.

With still a month left in 2024, the death toll has already surpassed the full-year tallies of 25 deaths in each of the past two years.

Saying only that traffic deaths are on the rise, though not disclosing the grim statistics, Police Chief Stanley McFadden laid out a carrot-and-stick approach to address the problem at last week’s City Council meeting.

The more gentle tactic will be to step up public education through a quarterly “Teaching Not Tickets” program. Motorcycle officers will cover topics ranging from driving in changing weather to drunk driving. Drivers will be able to submit questions for the officers to answer.

The department also will add four more officers to the traffic unit and potentially write more citations, the chief said. They will be on the lookout for violations such as speeding or distracted driving.

“We will be increasing our visibility with an added amount of motorcycles to the streets, where we will have a zero-tolerance approach to moving violations,” McFadden said.